Health, Beauty and Vitality

Blog

Technology has brought a level of interconnectedness to our world that is beautiful when harnessed to unite global communities for worthy causes.

But in our hyper-connected world, time alone, disconnected from the outside world, is becoming increasingly rare.

While it is true that no man is an island and we need community, we can also have too much of it. Finding yourself being drained rather than energized by social events is a sure sign that you’re not getting enough ‘me-time’.

Why is solitude so important?

Solitude gives focus. Switching off all outside influences gives us the opportunity to clear the distractions and clutter in our heads and sort through and re-evaluate our priorities.

Solitude nourishes creativity. Spend some time with a book, looking at a tree, or even listening to running water. You’ll find that even in slowing down, your brain can be bursting with fresh ideas sparked by the change of pace.

Solitude brings self-awareness. Many fear solitude because the moment they are alone they feel overwhelmed by their thoughts and what those thoughts reveal about their inner lives. Time alone spent confronting those thoughts – of insecurity, doubt, and frustration – is the first step towards understanding unhealthy perspectives you may be harbouring so that you can change them.

Solitude invites peace. Before we can make peace with the world around us, we must be able to make peace with ourselves. Spending regular time alone cultivating a rich inner life gives us an opportunity to make peace with ourselves by being kind, forgiving, and gentle to our bodies and spirits.

Do it: Make it a point to grab some ‘me-time’ today, even if it’s just 15 minutes, and spend some time alone.